Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner
Encyclopedia
"The Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner" is a poem from the Infocom
interactive fiction
game Planetfall
. It appears at a critical juncture in the game's plot.
The ballad itself refers to another Infocom interactive fiction
game, Starcross
, and sets the timeline relative to that earlier title.
Infocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
game Planetfall
Planetfall
Planetfall is a science fiction interactive fiction computer game written by Steve Meretzky, and the eighth title published by Infocom in 1983. Like most Infocom games, thanks to the portable Z-machine, it was released for several platforms simultaneously. The original release included versions...
. It appears at a critical juncture in the game's plot.
- O, they ruled the solar system
- Near ten thousand years before
- In their single starcrossed scout ships
- Mining ast'roids, spinning lore.
- Then one true courageous miner
- Spied a spaceship from the stars
- Boarded he that alien liner
- Out beyond the orb of Mars.
- Yes, that ship was filled with danger
- Mighty monsters barred his way
- Yet he solved the alien myst'ries
- Mining quite a lode that day.
- O, they ruled the solar system
- Near ten thousand years before
- 'Til one brave advent'rous spirit
- Brought that mighty ship to shore.
The ballad itself refers to another Infocom interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
game, Starcross
Starcross (computer game)
Starcross is a 1982 interactive fiction game designed and implemented by Dave Lebling and published by Infocom. Like most Infocom titles, it was developed for many systems. It was released for DOS, as a PC Booter, Apple II, Atari ST and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's fifth game.The game was...
, and sets the timeline relative to that earlier title.